Page 97 of Rising Out of the Darkness
Even when my eyes fell shut, they felt the blaze of my father’s glare. “Clean yourself up. I expect you out in the front courtyard in an hour.”
With his last words, he stormed out of the door.
A few moments later, the door creaked open and Clara rushed in and fell to her knees beside me. Over the years, she had been the only one who had ever seen the full extent ofthese “lessons.” Now she sucked in a gasp. My back must be one gruesome sight to see.
“Gods, Declan…what reason did they give you this time, cousin?” Her voice broke off at the end.
“Have they ever needed a reason?” I sighed deeply.
A similar sigh echoed beside me as she unlocked the chains around my wrists. “Declan, I’m going to have to clean the wounds before I heal them. Some of these are deep, and I don’t want you to get any infections. I think Alastor used iron-barbed tails this time. They’re going to scar, and it’s going to be a little more painful than usual to heal.”
“It’s alright, Clara. Do your worst.”
She passed over a flask of whiskey. As she pressed the cloth to my wounds, I hissed at the sting.
“When you leave, tell Killian and Liam to meet me in the courtyard immediately. My father is making me take charge of the punishment of the guards on duty.”
“Hells,” Clara whispered.
“I will also be in charge of the execution of two of them. Two ofourguards.”
“Oh, Dec, I’m so sorry.”
“I—” I shook my head to refocus before I fell apart. “I have a feeling Alastor may do something as well.”
“You mean summon the curse?” Her breath hitched.
“Yes.” Lifting the flask to my lips, I let the spicy liquid burn away the copper tang in my mouth.
Chapter 37
Elena
After Declan left, I did nothing but toss and turn all night. In the morning the bags under my eyes were purple and puffy. The fact that Declan hadn’t returned made my stomach churn. All the things that could have happened while he spoke with the king and Lord Alastor ran through my mind in an endless loop.
Breakfast lay on my side table, but the nerves that twisted my insides erased any twinge of hunger. I threw clothes on and rushed out of the room.
The halls were quiet. Too quiet.
No guards standing on patrol, no servants roaming about with trays in their hands. The eerie feeling made the hair on my arms stiffen as I picked up my pace towards the training ring.
Just as I made it to the doors, Clara rushed in. Eyes reddened, cheeks dampened, she pulled me into her arms. It nearly knocked the wind out of me.
“Come,” she sniffled, tugging my arm towards the opposite end of the castle. “W-we have to get out to the courtyard before it begins.”
“Before what begins, Clara?”
“Alaric is going to punish the guards on duty during the attacks by the beasts. He put Declan in charge of the executions.”
The world around me went numb. Executions? Hadn’t there been enough deaths already?
Clara tugged me along as I tried to shake away my shock. Pushing open the main castle doors, we stepped out into the crowd around us.
All the Royal Guard were present, flanking the sides of the massive courtyard. Residents of the city overflowed the bridge into the castle, spilling onto the gravel path that lined the grass. Six guards lined the middle of the open courtyard, shirtless and kneeling in the grass. Two more kneeled in front of them. All with their hands bound by iron shackles behind their backs.
My breaths became uneven as my eyes frantically roved over the crowd for Declan. I laid my sights on him, draped in black from head to toe. I pulled out of Clara’s grasp and rushed over towards him.
“Declan,” I gasped.
